36 replies to this topic

[Dee Eight]

I see this often in matches, quick or FW doesn't matter, and its more often with Mad Dogs but I've seen Archers and other multi-hardpoint mechs doing it. Do players not understand that they can triple up LRM5 launchers and not incur ghost heat penalties? Do they not grasp that an AMS system does its best work against individual 5 shot volleys ? Why waste ammo and heat for a 60% damage reduction ? Or is it just they fixate on the launchers going off every half second and that's OOOOhhhhhh Eeeeeeee Awwwwww somehow making it better ?!?

[Wintersdark]

Dee Eight, on 24 April 2016 - 08:09 AM, said:

I see this often in matches, quick or FW doesn't matter, and its more often with Mad Dogs but I've seen Archers and other multi-hardpoint mechs doing it. Do players not understand that they can triple up LRM5 launchers and not incur ghost heat penalties? Do they not grasp that an AMS system does its best work against individual 5 shot volleys ? Why waste ammo and heat for a 60% damage reduction ? Or is it just they fixate on the launchers going off every half second and that's OOOOhhhhhh Eeeeeeee Awwwwww somehow making it better ?!?

There are several reasons.

1) AMS is uncommon at best.

2) Chainfiring 6 LRM5's (or similar combination) results in a constant stream of missile impacts that blind the target

3) Firing two groups of 3 requires two weapon groups, which may or may not be available (in terms of easily managable firing buttons that can be properly mixed with other weapon groups), AND needs the timing of the second group firing to be correct to avoid ghost heat.

My Mad Dog brawler is 5LRM5/1LRM10, 5 ERSL. It's heat neutral firing either weapon type, but it's a brawler first and foremost. Chainfiring those LRM's means my target can never see or target my huge, vulnerable side torsos effectively, even if he moves inside the effective range for doing damage. At 200m, that means 20+ DPS output that I can sustain for a very long time, with precision from the lasers 25pt alpha and the chained small launchers all impacting the torso. I just chain or group fire, then - I group when there's massed AMS (because eating the heat penalty is worth maximizing my damage:ton of ammo) and otherwise I always chainfire to disrupt.

[Sky Hawk]

1. It's funny. If you playing just for fun.. and for you, for example, the sound of chain-fire is fun.. You won't use the 3x5.. (except if you are sitting in deep ****...)

2. It makes the targeted pilot crazy.. but least it cause some (lot of) disturb..

3. The ammo holds longer.. (longer fun + longer pain for the target)

4. Instead of 1, you have 3 possibility to steal the Killing Blow...

5. It eats much more Red-AMS ammo..

Etc..

But, trully, it is mostly "Point 1".. and it is above all a preference of playstyle...

Ye,..it is not the best way to cause top damage... But.... ahh.. nvm..

Edited by Sky Hawk, 24 April 2016 - 08:48 AM.

[Wintersdark]

Sky Hawk, on 24 April 2016 - 08:48 AM, said:

1. It's funny. If you playing just for fun.. and for you, for example, the sound of chain-fire is fun.. You won't use the 3x5.. (except if you are sitting in deep ****...)

2. It makes the targeted pilot crazy.. but least it cause some (lot of) disturb..

3. The ammo holds longer.. (longer fun + longer pain for the target)

4. Instead of 1, you have 3 possibility to steal the Killing Blow...

5. It eats much more Red-AMS ammo..

Etc..

But, trully, it is mostly "Point 1".. and it is above all a preference of playstyle...

Ye,..it is not the best way to cause top damage... But.... ahh.. nvm..

Errr, chainfired LRM's are going to cause the same damage.

The choice CAN be made via "playstyle" (wow that's nebulous) but it SHOULD be made tactically.

* So long as you're maximizing weapon firing rates (6xLRM5, for example) you're not losing DPS unless you're firing through AMS.

* If chained, the blinding effect is extremely valuable, particularly when your target is trying to fire at you (or a friendly, for that matter).

* Group fired penetrates AMS better.

* 2x3 is a good way middle ground, penetrating AMS better than chained, but requires two inputs to use and some timing; could be tough if you're also firing other weapons and such.



Ammo usage is identical if you're not being bad, so that's not a concern. Consuming more red-team AMS ammo is kind of silly, too - they get more AMS ammo/ton than you get LRM ammo/ton, that's a bad trade.

Edited by Wintersdark, 24 April 2016 - 08:56 AM.

[Tordin]

Oh I feel so guilty when I chainfire 9 lrm 5 in my Archer 5W

The only drawback is that AMS (really you who hate lrms should invest in this) eats a single lrm 5 cluster to breakfast. Launching two lrm5 clusters or 1 lrm 10 cluster overwhelm one AMS.

[Steel Raven]

You chain fire LRMs for the same reason you chain fire multiple ACs
I don't use LRMs but I've been hit with chain fire LRMs and it's annoying as hell, getting hit by multiple chain firing LRM boats is hell if you are caught in the open. Happen to be once on Grim Plexus, tried to cross the frozen lake to get to better coven when a constant LRMs suddenly from the opposite end of the hill started to hit me and never stopped. I couldn't even see where I was going, let alone make it to cover.

[N F X]

It just makes the Enemy Pilot crazy and its fun to hear the constant rush of LURMS

[rolling thunder]

Personally the reason I have chain fire is tactics.It alters the other sides tactics knowing that LRMs will be dropping on them constantly. It keep my heat low even in high heat enviroments. My Maddog has 5 ER Medium Lasers as back up making it capable of defending itself.
The downside is having to be careful about friendly fire so I try to engage unengaged targets. I was told off for using my LRMs on a light mech ;which I can understand. I usually target heavy & Assault mechs & while it's akin to sandpapering the armour off the mech it is effective.
Rarely am I called to alpha strike an opponent but when I do it leaves me with some heat to play with but takes me quite high. The alpha strike is usually devastating late on into a game.6 LRMs & 5 ER Medium Lasers are at best a mixed bag of fortune but it allows me to brawl & support during the game.Some of the highest game scores I've gotten are by combining fire of both weapon systems, which means i'm almost red lining all the time but it does help the team.

[Moldur]

It also wastes less ammo if you lose lock before your first salvo makes it. Imagine if you lost 3x as much ammo for all the wasted salvos you sometimes get in a game.

[DrRedCoat]

I do it for the same reason I stagger fire my quad AC2 Rifleman two at a time... cause it's ridiculously fun and the constant cockpit shake changes people's behavoir. I've been able to singlehandedly keep a lance or more of enemy mechs out of an under-defended flank using these sorts of chainfire. It makes people think you have more firepower than you do.

[Saint Atlas and the Commando Elf]

another reason:

It is sunday morning and coffee hasn't kicked in yet. I am not yet able to aim with lazors nor can I lead a target for AC's. But I do can press ma shivering fingers on the mousebutton for them Lurms.

[ImperialKnight]

Dee Eight, on 24 April 2016 - 08:09 AM, said:

I see this often in matches, quick or FW doesn't matter, and its more often with Mad Dogs but I've seen Archers and other multi-hardpoint mechs doing it. Do players not understand that they can triple up LRM5 launchers and not incur ghost heat penalties? Do they not grasp that an AMS system does its best work against individual 5 shot volleys ? Why waste ammo and heat for a 60% damage reduction ? Or is it just they fixate on the launchers going off every half second and that's OOOOhhhhhh Eeeeeeee Awwwwww somehow making it better ?!?

1. For the sh*ts and giggles

2. If you're not actually hiding behind a rock 800m behind your team waiting for red triangles, it can be terrifyingly effective. Find a friendly brawl mech, follow it, fire on the the mech it's fighting and do not stop until the enemy is dead. Watch chat light up with RAGE. profit.

[WildVector]

You really should take it to the private matches and test it out.

We did it and chain fire LRMs actually IMPROVES accuracy/hits on target when they move at faster speeds.

Whoever advocates for ALWAYS group or alfa will have lower results.

LRMs is just like any other weapon, hell you can line of sight behind corner and rocks and flush enemy out IF used properly.

There are many a reason to either chain or group fire, especially IF you swap between CLAN and IS often.

[Orbit Rain]

Simple answer: spread is reduced firing individually vs linked-fire.

[mogs01gt]

Orbit Rain, on 11 May 2016 - 09:18 AM, said:

Simple answer: spread is reduced firing individually vs linked-fire.

This... and why did it take soo long for someone to post this...

[FuDawg]

Common sense, more strikes vs larger strikes will eventually equal more kills. As someone pointed out it's essentially going to rob people of their kill shots. That being said, like all tactics there is a way around and a way (or more than one) to make it work against the person whoring it THAT being said, all y'all LRMers can bite my ECM, AMS, and Radar Dep. Zoom.

[Fox With A Shotgun]

Tordin, on 24 April 2016 - 09:32 AM, said:

Launching two lrm5 clusters or 1 lrm 10 cluster overwhelm one AMS.

Only true for IS LRMs. CLRM of any launcher size will get eaten alive by an AMS, 1 AMS : 1 Launcher for CLRM for 80-100% immunity.

@OP: It's more for blinding the target. If there are AMS users in the area or if the target is likely to run and hide quickly, then firing all as a wave is a better idea.

[Wintersdark]

knightsljx, on 30 April 2016 - 05:42 AM, said:

1. For the sh*ts and giggles

2. If you're not actually hiding behind a rock 800m behind your team waiting for red triangles, it can be terrifyingly effective. Find a friendly brawl mech, follow it, fire on the the mech it's fighting and do not stop until the enemy is dead. Watch chat light up with RAGE. profit.

My LURMDog, 5xERSL and lots of LRM5's, is 100% a brawling mech. I'll follow close behind the brawlers, aiming for a 200m engagement distance in the second rank. Fire over friendly mechs, use the arm lasers to the sides. This allows more fire density in a restricted area, a 20+ sustained DPS output, and constant cockpit shake on the target.

It's highly, highly mobile play maintaining good positioning and getting good firing angles without smacking friendlies, but it allows way more damage output from our team in a close quarters brawl. It's extremely, extremely effective.

[Wintersdark]

Tordin, on 24 April 2016 - 09:32 AM, said:

Oh I feel so guilty when I chainfire 9 lrm 5 in my Archer 5W

The only drawback is that AMS (really you who hate lrms should invest in this) eats a single lrm 5 cluster to breakfast. Launching two lrm5 clusters or 1 lrm 10 cluster overwhelm one AMS.

Overwhelming it is fine, that AMS is still reducing incoming damage by a significant portion. AMS doesn't need to fully block LRM's to be effective. Each AMS unit tends to reduce incoming damage by ~2.5 dps, rounding down (By that, I mean 1 AMS will reduce incoming damage by 2, 2 AMS will reduce it by 5 - this because one leaves partially damaged missiles(still full damage) that 2 will destroy.

But just knocking off a portion of the damage makes an inefficient weapon system even less efficient. That's not bad.

[Jables McBarty]

mogs01gt, on 12 May 2016 - 07:01 AM, said:

This... and why did it take soo long for someone to post this...

Actually did not know this.

I resisted for so long, but what made me do it was watching a friendly MDD circle an enemy brawling atlas at 200m whilst pouring a constant stream of LRM-5s into him. The Atlas couldn't handle it. It was so elegant and terrifying, and it really looked like a Vulture circling its debilitated, decaying prey.

Also for all of the other reasons noted above.

And I find it cuts down on wasted ammo. If you are firing for psychic effect (ie, for the sole purpose of glaring klaxons), then it is better to cut the stream at 2 LRM5s than to waste all 6 in an alpha.